Ask the Patriarch 164
Has Dawkins proved God does not exist?

from:Daniel

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Just a quick question to someone perhaps more knowledgeable than I, a simple "lay agnostic" if you will. ;)

I've been hearing a lot about evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and the upsurge of a new breed of atheism.

One of their number, a rather outspoken one, was convinced that by reading "The God Delusion," he would "convert me from my confused position" and become "a more reasonable human being." [I find this type of language strange, coming from an atheist.]

So I read the book and Mr. Dawkin's 747 Boeing Argument that 99.9% proves the Non-Existence of God - but I'm not quite sure I get what he's aiming at with all this talk about complexity.

So I turn to you, my fellow agnostics, to ask: Did I Miss the Inverted Second Coming? :P Has Richard Dawkins settled the argument beyond the objections of a theist or (and far more importantly, ;) ) an agnostic that god doesn't exist?

As I said, I'm just a simple happy agnostic lost in a world of hard science and high theology - I'm just certain that, well, I'm uncertain.

The Patriarch replies:

Daniel:

There are two reviews[1] of The God Delusion on this site (Meditation 575 and Meditation 604), neither of which agrees with Dawkins' supposed proof.

At best, Dawkins establishes that God is not necessary for the origin of humanity, life, the Earth, or the Universe. But, "not necessary" is not the same as non-existent.

In my opinion, Dawkins has been so horrified at the creeping return of creationism that he has adopted an extreme anti-religious position. This is counterproductive. Our best allies in the fight against the various forms of religious fundamentalism are those who I would term "thinking believers." That is those who are able to interpret sacred texts and teachings metaphorically, and find no conflict between science and religion.

In any event, Dawkins has not proven that God does not exist. You, Daniel, can remain secure in your agnosticism.